My internship is over! It has been one interesting summer and I have had some very memorable experiences. I have learned so much!! This week has been busy because I wanted to go out one last time with some of my favorite reporters plus I had a lot of work to finish up. I managed to finish everything and I'm happy with it! I put together a demo reel of all my standups and packages. It's almost 10 minutes worth of stuff so I feel like that is a great start! It was fun going through everything today and seeing how I progressed as I learned new skills.
It's weird to leave a place after investing so much time in it. Yes, I know it's only been 11 weeks, but I really feel like I made great relationships with people and it's a little sad to say goodbye. This whole summer has flown by and I find it scary/exciting to think that in a year from now I might be at a news station doing all of this for my job. Who knows where I will be in a year, but I am confident that I want to be doing something in tv. I love story telling and meeting different people. I don't think this is a profession where I would ever feel bored. It's been a great summer and I am excited to share and practice everything I learned at school next year!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Week 9
Ah only 1 week left!
It's been another good week. More online stories and VOs for producers. Here's one of my online stories:
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/crime/police-wanted-lebanon-man-captured-after-chase
I went to Bloomington for a day with one reporter. She was solo and assigned 3 stories. I definitely got to see what it's like to be stretched thin as a reporter and felt like I was a big help to her. The highlight of my week was probably when I went out for a reporter. She was booked for the day and unable to make it to her interview. I was paired with a photographer, given a phone number to confirm my appointment, and given the press release. That's all I had to work with. On the drive there (between making calls) I read up on the story and started making notes and brainstorming questions. It was fun to introduce myself-not as an intern :) I did the whole interview and when I returned to the station they seemed happy with it!
Next week is my last week so I have a list of things I need to do before I leave. I need to get all my work on dvds so that I can eventually use them on my demo reels. I still want to record a few tries at anchoring too! It seems crazy to think that, after investing so much time in all these people this summer, I may never see them again! I guess that's just the way life is. I have had a great summer and learned so much. Yes, I may be broke now and no, it doesn't feel like I had an actual summer "vacation" since I've been busy and away from home, but the experience I have gained has been so worth it.
It's been another good week. More online stories and VOs for producers. Here's one of my online stories:
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/crime/police-wanted-lebanon-man-captured-after-chase
I went to Bloomington for a day with one reporter. She was solo and assigned 3 stories. I definitely got to see what it's like to be stretched thin as a reporter and felt like I was a big help to her. The highlight of my week was probably when I went out for a reporter. She was booked for the day and unable to make it to her interview. I was paired with a photographer, given a phone number to confirm my appointment, and given the press release. That's all I had to work with. On the drive there (between making calls) I read up on the story and started making notes and brainstorming questions. It was fun to introduce myself-not as an intern :) I did the whole interview and when I returned to the station they seemed happy with it!
Next week is my last week so I have a list of things I need to do before I leave. I need to get all my work on dvds so that I can eventually use them on my demo reels. I still want to record a few tries at anchoring too! It seems crazy to think that, after investing so much time in all these people this summer, I may never see them again! I guess that's just the way life is. I have had a great summer and learned so much. Yes, I may be broke now and no, it doesn't feel like I had an actual summer "vacation" since I've been busy and away from home, but the experience I have gained has been so worth it.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Week 8
Where has the summer gone? I cannot believe I have already been at WISH for 2 months!! I still have 2 weeks to go which means lots left to learn, but I have been very happy with my experience up to this point. Yes, living off my intern income ($0) has been difficult, but my time here has been so valuable and definitely worth it!
This week has included much of the same activities... I have written many online stories and VO's for producers while still managing to get out with reporters. Here is a fun/interesting VO I wrote today:
((2SHOT))
(**ERIC**)
Many vacationers put on extra pounds.
ADLIB
(**DEANNA**)
But where you go could mean the difference between a little extra baggage -- and spending the next few weeks on a diet.
(**VO**)
The so called "holiday fat map," ranks vacation spots by the additional pounds visitors return home with.
And the U-S comes in first place.
With our big portions and buffets, the average vacationer leaves with an extra eight pounds.
The Caribbean and its all-inclusive resorts comes in a close second.
France, Italy and Greece also made the top five.
Two things have really stuck out to me this week:
Yesterday I went to Eli Lilly with a reporter named Deanna. Deanna anchors the noon and 5:00 newscast so I haven't really had many interactions with her. However, I hear so many great things about her writing, so I was eager to observe her. Apparently, Lilly was coming out with 3 new generic drugs, but they are also doing some downsizing. We interviewed a Public Relations representative and I was able to see first hand how difficult it is to talk with those people!! It was his job to make his company look good and so he really tiptoed around the fact that so many people would be fired. Deanna talked with me about the interview later and how hard it is to get some of the facts when dealing with PR. She purposely put a mic on the guy we were interviewing and herself so that viewers could hear the questions she was asking. That way, they could see for themselves how the man was not clearly answering some of the difficult questions.
Today: I went to the scene of a motorcycle crash. On the ride there, the photographer warned me that I may see some pretty gory stuff. Luckily, the driver of the motorcycle was already gone by the time we arrived, but I did see them take the driver of the car off on a stretcher. I also saw the twisted motorcycle and beaten up car. Driving back to the station, the photographer (who has worked in this field for over 20 years) shared some of the difficult things he has seen. I guess I never really thought about how someday I will probably witness some of those same things. I may have to see a homicide victim who has been stuffed into a trashcan, or the body of an abused child washed up on the shore of a lake, or the reactions of family members who just learned they lost a loved one. I do tend to wear my heart on my sleve and in situations like that I wouldn't react well. I get nauseous when I see a drop of blood and I cry if I see someone else crying. It's difficult because I don't ever want to become "used" to those kinds of scenes, but at the same time, I don't want to fall apart every time I do see them. There is definitely a fine line between not becoming calloused and not becoming too involved. Because I am a Christian, my line may be a little different. It's been good to see firsthand the kinds of challenges that I will face in this field. It has been valuable to see how different people handle different situations. I know that many of my boundaries will be established once I'm in the field, but it is very good to think about now. Who knows, maybe the fact that I'm very compassionate will get me beat up in this field? I guess I have to believe that if this is the profession for me, then God will equip me with what I need to succeed.
This week has included much of the same activities... I have written many online stories and VO's for producers while still managing to get out with reporters. Here is a fun/interesting VO I wrote today:
((2SHOT))
(**ERIC**)
Many vacationers put on extra pounds.
ADLIB
(**DEANNA**)
But where you go could mean the difference between a little extra baggage -- and spending the next few weeks on a diet.
(**VO**)
The so called "holiday fat map," ranks vacation spots by the additional pounds visitors return home with.
And the U-S comes in first place.
With our big portions and buffets, the average vacationer leaves with an extra eight pounds.
The Caribbean and its all-inclusive resorts comes in a close second.
France, Italy and Greece also made the top five.
Two things have really stuck out to me this week:
Yesterday I went to Eli Lilly with a reporter named Deanna. Deanna anchors the noon and 5:00 newscast so I haven't really had many interactions with her. However, I hear so many great things about her writing, so I was eager to observe her. Apparently, Lilly was coming out with 3 new generic drugs, but they are also doing some downsizing. We interviewed a Public Relations representative and I was able to see first hand how difficult it is to talk with those people!! It was his job to make his company look good and so he really tiptoed around the fact that so many people would be fired. Deanna talked with me about the interview later and how hard it is to get some of the facts when dealing with PR. She purposely put a mic on the guy we were interviewing and herself so that viewers could hear the questions she was asking. That way, they could see for themselves how the man was not clearly answering some of the difficult questions.
Today: I went to the scene of a motorcycle crash. On the ride there, the photographer warned me that I may see some pretty gory stuff. Luckily, the driver of the motorcycle was already gone by the time we arrived, but I did see them take the driver of the car off on a stretcher. I also saw the twisted motorcycle and beaten up car. Driving back to the station, the photographer (who has worked in this field for over 20 years) shared some of the difficult things he has seen. I guess I never really thought about how someday I will probably witness some of those same things. I may have to see a homicide victim who has been stuffed into a trashcan, or the body of an abused child washed up on the shore of a lake, or the reactions of family members who just learned they lost a loved one. I do tend to wear my heart on my sleve and in situations like that I wouldn't react well. I get nauseous when I see a drop of blood and I cry if I see someone else crying. It's difficult because I don't ever want to become "used" to those kinds of scenes, but at the same time, I don't want to fall apart every time I do see them. There is definitely a fine line between not becoming calloused and not becoming too involved. Because I am a Christian, my line may be a little different. It's been good to see firsthand the kinds of challenges that I will face in this field. It has been valuable to see how different people handle different situations. I know that many of my boundaries will be established once I'm in the field, but it is very good to think about now. Who knows, maybe the fact that I'm very compassionate will get me beat up in this field? I guess I have to believe that if this is the profession for me, then God will equip me with what I need to succeed.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Week 7
I am having a really good week! It was harder than usual to say goodbye to my family and come back to an empty apartment. I woke up Monday with a bad attitude and just said a little prayer that God would change that. My work here isn't done and I want to continue to be excited about this experience. I don't want to wish any of this away, but instead I want to take advantage of every moment which means there's no time for a bad attitude :) God has answered my prayers this week though and I have had a blast!
Monday: A few of us interns were given the task of researching and making calls. With the record-high temperatures this week, many of the stories are heat related. We split up the nearby counties and called different summer kids programs, clubs, sports teams, etc. to see what changes they would be making in their schedule during the hot week. It was nice to be doing something that I know the station appreciates. Later in the day a reporter approached me and asked if I would go out on a story with her. She was going solo and it felt good that she sought me out because she needed an extra hand. The story we were covering was about the Cathedral high valedictorian who was drinking with some friends and dove off a dock at Geist Resevoire where the water was only 3 feet deep. This kid was planning on attending Duke in the fall and now is facing a life as a quadriplegic. We did a few interviews and I was able to ask questions and then we got some footage. I came back and wrote a script for a package and the reporter said she could look over it tonight, so I'm waiting on her feedback before editing.
Tuesday: I went with Dave who is one of my favorite reporters. Dave has been at WISH for 30 years and he also anchors the noon and 5:00 pm news. He was covering a story on kids and gun safety. We went to a gun shop and met some pretty interesting guys. Dave already knew them all, but they were very excited to meet me. One man tried selling me a pink pistol! I got to do a standup in the store which was intimidating since I had quite the audience, but all the men cheered when I finished so it must not have been too bad. After lunch with Dr. King and Dr. Perry, I worked on my script some more and wrote a little for the web.
Today has been a productive day so far. I helped make more calls to auto dealers on how cars were responding to the heat and then I wrote 2 web stories:
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/crime/police-indy-man-sent-and-received-child-porn
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/south_central/bargersville-water-grass-on-schedule
Later today I am going to a pool where they are doing more on the heat. It will be roasting outside, but it is always nice to get out for a little bit. I'm going with a reporter that I have never worked with so it will be fun to get to know him and his reporting style better!
Monday: A few of us interns were given the task of researching and making calls. With the record-high temperatures this week, many of the stories are heat related. We split up the nearby counties and called different summer kids programs, clubs, sports teams, etc. to see what changes they would be making in their schedule during the hot week. It was nice to be doing something that I know the station appreciates. Later in the day a reporter approached me and asked if I would go out on a story with her. She was going solo and it felt good that she sought me out because she needed an extra hand. The story we were covering was about the Cathedral high valedictorian who was drinking with some friends and dove off a dock at Geist Resevoire where the water was only 3 feet deep. This kid was planning on attending Duke in the fall and now is facing a life as a quadriplegic. We did a few interviews and I was able to ask questions and then we got some footage. I came back and wrote a script for a package and the reporter said she could look over it tonight, so I'm waiting on her feedback before editing.
Tuesday: I went with Dave who is one of my favorite reporters. Dave has been at WISH for 30 years and he also anchors the noon and 5:00 pm news. He was covering a story on kids and gun safety. We went to a gun shop and met some pretty interesting guys. Dave already knew them all, but they were very excited to meet me. One man tried selling me a pink pistol! I got to do a standup in the store which was intimidating since I had quite the audience, but all the men cheered when I finished so it must not have been too bad. After lunch with Dr. King and Dr. Perry, I worked on my script some more and wrote a little for the web.
Today has been a productive day so far. I helped make more calls to auto dealers on how cars were responding to the heat and then I wrote 2 web stories:
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/crime/police-indy-man-sent-and-received-child-porn
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/south_central/bargersville-water-grass-on-schedule
Later today I am going to a pool where they are doing more on the heat. It will be roasting outside, but it is always nice to get out for a little bit. I'm going with a reporter that I have never worked with so it will be fun to get to know him and his reporting style better!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Weeks 5 and 6
I am now over halfway finished with my internship! I still have 5 weeks left (yes I will be way over my required hours)! Last week I only worked 2 days so I am just combining the past 2 weeks into one blog.
I am continuing to learn a lot here at WISH. I had the opportunity to go out every day at least for a little bit which always helps to break the day up. There were two stories this week that I found particularly interesting:
Tuesday we covered a robbery story. Apparently, this 25 year old girl had stolen a gun from Don's Guns the night before. Tuesday morning she then used that gun to steal from a hair/beauty store. The owners of the store got a picture of her license plate and police were able to track her down. She led them on a high speed chase and almost ran over a construction worker. The police finally caught up to her while she was trying to unlock the doors of her home. However, she was not cooperating and ended up having to get tased. The whole story seemed bizarre to me. This woman claimed to be pregnant and was obviously pretty desparate. I am realizing how people do things that make no sense at all. We met some very peculiar people during our interviews too.
Wednesday I traveled to Millroy for the day. These two boys (ages 19 and 22) must have gotten into some sort of disagreement. All the neighbors said they were friends, but the 19 year old shot his friend. The small town does not have many murders (the prosectutor couldn't remember any taking place in the town of 600). I found it really sad that the only time this town was recognized in the news was for murder. It seemed like a really nice, quiet town, but now all people will remember is that it was a location for a crime. I'm sure there are alot of really cool stories in a town like that, but the saying "If it bleeds it leads" really is true when it comes to the news.
I am continuing to learn a lot here at WISH. I had the opportunity to go out every day at least for a little bit which always helps to break the day up. There were two stories this week that I found particularly interesting:
Tuesday we covered a robbery story. Apparently, this 25 year old girl had stolen a gun from Don's Guns the night before. Tuesday morning she then used that gun to steal from a hair/beauty store. The owners of the store got a picture of her license plate and police were able to track her down. She led them on a high speed chase and almost ran over a construction worker. The police finally caught up to her while she was trying to unlock the doors of her home. However, she was not cooperating and ended up having to get tased. The whole story seemed bizarre to me. This woman claimed to be pregnant and was obviously pretty desparate. I am realizing how people do things that make no sense at all. We met some very peculiar people during our interviews too.
Wednesday I traveled to Millroy for the day. These two boys (ages 19 and 22) must have gotten into some sort of disagreement. All the neighbors said they were friends, but the 19 year old shot his friend. The small town does not have many murders (the prosectutor couldn't remember any taking place in the town of 600). I found it really sad that the only time this town was recognized in the news was for murder. It seemed like a really nice, quiet town, but now all people will remember is that it was a location for a crime. I'm sure there are alot of really cool stories in a town like that, but the saying "If it bleeds it leads" really is true when it comes to the news.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Week 4
Another good week and here are some highlights:
Monday: I traveled to Anderson with a crew to cover a story about a man who killed his wife. When I first heard the tip, I thought it was just another typical homicide. However, the story was much more complicated than I thought. The man claimed that he was assisting in his wife's suicide. She was dying from cancer and had been given 3-6 weeks to live. We went around the couple's apartment complex and we're able to talk to some close friends of theirs. The neighbors told us how in love this couple was. They said that the man was completely devoted to this woman and he would never lay a hand on her unless she asked him too. Apparently, the couple was evicted from their apartment recently and before leaving they gave most of their possessions away saying that they were never coming back. Obviously, the story is still pretty sketchy, but I learned that I can't jump to conclusions. I am glad that the reporter went into the story with an open mind. He didn't assume that the man was a heartless killer which is why he got some really good sound from family friends who knew the couple well. As a reporter, it is important to put your opinion aside.
I also had the opportunity to do a standup. They encouraged me to try to say something that could be used as a bridge if I did a package. This meant really thinking about a unique part of the story instead of just a brief overview.
Tuesday: Adrienne, the reporter that I went out with last week on the culvert story, pulled me aside in the morning to ask to see my package. We printed out my script and I showed her my editing. She seemed impressed which was encouraging (I have never edited before this summer, but I do feel like I am improving). She went through the whole thing with me and made a few minor suggestions. I was very grateful for her help! I spent the rest of the afternoon following a crew that was covering the new vaccine policy. We went to 3 interviews and gathered a lot of information. The reporter was putting together a short package and so it was interesting to see how she narrowed down all of the complicated information to really make a simple, understandable story. I had the chance to do a standup again. The reporter gave me some ideas of what I might want to say. The information wasn't too interesting to me, but I still had to present it with meaning. This was good practice because to be honest, will be many stories that I don't understand or really care about, but if I'm asked to cover them then I need to act like I am knowledgeable and/or passionate.
Wednesday: I was with a reporter who was covering a carjacking. Apparently, an anonymous witness called 911 and then followed the suspects while giving turn by turn directions over the phone. We went to the scene and then followed the course that the suspects and witness went. Later, I saw that they put sound from the 911 call to the video and it turned out really interesting! I was able to do 2 standups that day! I first did an introduction at the intersection where the high speed chase began and then tagged the story out at the police department which was ironically right at the intersection that the chase ended. I am in the process of putting together my own package.
Thursday: Today I went to Bloomington to dig up some more on the Lauren Spierer case. They called it investigative reporting. This whole story has been interesting to follow. Tomorrow the parents are holding another press conference. Everyone at the station knows that the police will not give them any more information. They are just trying to keep the media involved. It seems like they just string us along so that we will keep showing up and covering the search. It's interesting to me how important the police and parents think media involvement is. To be honest, it is the media to thank for making this case recognized nationally. They are desperately trying to keep us interested so we will keep coming back. I am not sure how long WISH will continue traveling to Bloomington to cover the uninformative press conferences and searches, but it has been interesting to follow.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Week 3
I am still loving my internship and I'm so excited about the experience I'm getting.
Monday I went to Shelbyville to check out areas that flooded. The town got 6-7 inches of rain in 2 hours! We met a really sweet couple. The two were in there 90's and had been married for 67 years! Their farm had flooded pretty bad which made a great backdrop for our live shot in the evening. It was cool to talk with them and see how excited they were to be on tv!
Tuesday I went out with Adrienne who was a one woman show. We were covering a story about a culvert (kind-of like a bridge) that had been washed out by Monday's heavy rains. We found out that the state has no regulations requiring that culverts be inspected. Marion county has over 1000 culverts, so it is scary to think that drivers may be traveling over other culverts that are unsafe. We did some interviews and gathered footage. Adrienne was so easy to talk to. I found myself feeling very comfortable with her. She let me do a standup and really walked me through how to narrow my focus when writing my story. She was having trouble with the tripod and so I got to shoot her which was fun. I learned a lot from her and was grateful for her critique. When I got back to the station I was able to practice anchoring. Reading off the teleprompter was harder than I thought it would be, but it was fun sitting in the studio under the lights and trying it out.
Wednesday I spent the day writing and editing packages. I am getting better, but still know I have a lot of room to improve. Going out yesterday with Adrienne, helped me realize how valuable it is to be able to report, write, shoot, and edit. I want to someday be a valuable asset to an organization. Someday I want to be dependable in many areas!
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